However, Whenever You are My crystal pitcher, pure refreshment, poured out. Depleted, exhausted, spent? Let My Living Water fill your space, richly. Again and again, I satisfy. Making you satisfying to quench. See My sparkling face shining through you, never dulling? You know Me deeper daily, but I know you deeper still. You lived with Me from the beginning, a spirit-seed awaiting place and time. I waited with you before you even knew how to know. I waited to breathe in you and be your love-blood. I waited to get messy for you and raise you …
God’s Got You Covered
Reach God covered our sin-problem even before He spoke creation into existence and reached His perfect fingers into those dark layers of dirt to design us. Son Even before God shaped Adam and Eve, He fashioned our future with His own flesh and blood. He devised a plan involving His perfect Lamb who would rescue us from our dirty selves and every muddy place we’d ever tread. [box] The lamb who was slain from the creation of the world. Revelation 13:8[/box] Story The most powerful stories involve death, whether it’s the death of a person, the death of a reputation, …
Raging Seas
Shaken Heart Waves ride high, licking the sides of your boat, toppling inside. Water deepens, clawing tightness in your chest. Jesus had snatched this boat at the end of a long, crowd-saturated day, so he could reach the other side of the sea. With Jesus asleep now, you feel abandoned. Must you and your friends battle this storm by yourselves? In a howling gust, your boat couldn’t be more tossed and you know you’re going to drown. What in the world? Shouldn’t Jesus at least see this mess he threw you into? Winds roar so loud you can hardly hear …
U.S. Son on Malaysia Flight
News Video: Grieving US Mother Clings To God Grievous disappearance How does a mother respond when crisis strikes? Sondra Wood had just seen her son, Philip, the week before he disappeared on the Malaysian aircraft, flight 370. Philip had visited her Texas home and shared about his IBM job-move from Beijing to Malaysia. “He was excited about his new adventure,” says the devastated mother. “Only people who know God can survive things like this in a good way. I know in my heart I will get through this.” As a Christian, Sondra knows God doesn’t spare us from trouble. He does, however, …
Are You A Morning Person?
I don’t know how you start your day, but on freezing Minnesota mornings, I yank up the bed sheets and relish each minute before my feet hit the floor. My husband groans, stretches, and wedges an arm beneath me. I ignore the drool on his cheek. He’ll figure it out in a second. It strikes me that we’ve only experienced eighteen and a half years of such marital bliss. LOL! Good morning, Lord… And so begins a chorus of prayer I don’t ever want to stop (and not just so I could stay in bed.) Lord, draw Billy and …
Press On Strong
As many of you know, I’m working on a new book that will release with Zondervan next year: Jesus in my Room At least that’s what it’s called for now. We’ll see if they change it or not. Have you ever worked on something where you continually feel that streeeetch of the soul? Then you know how I feel. Sometimes I wish I could order a little more trust and patience. Maybe press the “buy with one click” button on Amazon. Here’s me talking to myself again: [box] Did God call you to do this? Yes. Absolutely. Well, if he …
Depositing in Dreamers
“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” Matthew 5:14
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Your Blooming Dreams
Dear God-Sized Dreamer, When fear screams as loud as your dreams, drink Him in. He will brighten you. Your Creator is a dreamer too. He “gets” you and He wants to work with you. The soil is tough, but the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, breathes in you. He is your whole reason to dream. The One who holds you will bring it to pass in due season. [box] “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” …
Poem For God-Sized Dreamers
Dream a dream. A God-sized dream. But never dream alone. Link hearts with God, your dream-Maker, in every dream-seed sown. That hope he planted in your heart to do that God-sized thing~ Keep dousing it with prayer and work, and watch your dream take wing. The path of dark and dirty soil may hide you long and low, but deep in Christ, you’re safe to trust He’ll grace you as you grow. A little here, a little there, as days and nights accrue, your heart will beat as one with His. There’s nothing you can’t do. …
Destiny Song
Hey friend! Every now and then I like to write a random song and pray it blesses you. This one flowed quickly and effortlessly. I simply sang it out and jotted it down. Maybe that’s why I’m a little nervous to share it here right now. When I’m tired. When I’ve already taken a lot of risks this week (already met my risk quota). But amidst the busyness of my new book project, I’ve missed you and I’ve wanted to share at least one new thing God slipped in my heart. So here goes… However this finds …
Broken Doors
“I’m tired of our latch-dysfunction,” I told my husband. Our van’s power doors took an early retirement, so we need to manually wrestle them open and closed. “It’s good for your muscles,” we tell the boys. But during Minnesota winters, the doors take turns freezing shut. Until we’re driving; that’s when they fly open! Thus, our “discussion.” Can we afford it? No. Can I afford the anxiety of these surprise door openings? No. In the middle of getting nowhere, I pled my case to God. “I feel helpless, but God’s going to make a way,” I told Dwight. “I’ve been …
Good Words and Flying Balloons
It was a no good, really bad day, and I couldn’t hide my tears. To make matters worse, my son caught sight of me as he scuttled by. But he held his calm. He did a double take, and flashed a smile. “You’re God’s warrior,” he said. I blinked. Did that really come from his twelve year old mouth? His words found their place. They flickered some kind of light in me. You know how love plus truth equals hope, right? Well, I daydreamed as he skipped off to his room. Then he returned. “Remember, you’re God’s warrior!” he repeated …
Bird Bomb Day
The Ricker household swelled with its usual Saturday morning activities until~ BANG! Something hit the window. Running outside, we saw the small bird lying lifelessly. My husband picked him up and set him on his feet, and the bird remained frozen upright, eyes half-closed like he was unconscious. “Phillip.” That’s what the boys called him. We’d never seen another quite like him. We stood bent over, taking turns praying for Phillip with the laying on of hands. Quite a sight, I’m sure. And still, the little guy never flinched. “God cares about Phillip,” I said. Matthew 10:29, 30 came to …
Through God’s Fingers
That pressing test that rocks your world? It’s either from the hand of God or from the hand of the enemy. The fact is, it must first pass through the fingers of the Almighty, sift through the shape of His mercy. In other words, rest easy. If God isn’t the one nudging you forward through this trial, stretching you into His image, then He’s allowing the enemy to be used for your good and His glory. Even in your vulnerability, you can trust God’s Sovereignty. Satan’s on a rope, and God will always help you cope. God’s got your back; …
Missing: Jesus Keys
My Simple Request It’s amazing the things you find when you’re looking for other things. After a month and a half of phone calls and house rampages for a pair of lost keys, I wondered if I should give up and buy new ones. With two Toyota keys and remotes, however, the replacement cost could be over $500. I decided to keep looking and praying. “God, I know you know where my keys are. Can you please tell me… I know they’re safe with you, and I thank you in advance because I really think you want to bring them …
Songs in the Sky
A Second Chance… “Cheryl, check out the rainbow!” I scrambled for my camera, but when I finally dashed outside, the colors in the partial rainbow had mostly faded to nothing. Not another wasted camera op! Last month it was the baby ducks trying to (unsuccessfully) jump the curb in front of the Mayo Clinic. Then it was the twelve huskies pulling a man on his bike. Now this? Resolved not to let it bother me, I hopped in my dinghy and, with each paddle-stroke, encouraged myself to ponder the week’s blessings. One, we were at Strawberry Lake Christian Retreat, our favorite …
Baby, Don’t Cry
(True story by a doctor working in Central Africa. I only made a few minor punctuation, grammar, and spacing edits.) [box] Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Psalm 105:1 [/box] One night I worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward. In spite of all our efforts, she died, leaving us with a tiny, premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We had difficulty keeping the baby alive because we had no incubator (no electricity to run one). Nor did we have special feeding facilities. Yes, …
Baby Steps
[box] “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4[/box] Our family recently laughed ourselves silly in front of videos of our kids as babes. Highchair time was clearly more about playing than the serious art of eating. Carrot and pea-smothered faces, proud monosyllabic babbles for the camera ~ great material! The boys, now teens, howled watching one of them make his first crawl, or should I say first scoot. “Come on! You can do it!” Frustrated when his body wouldn’t cooperate, he whined and got feisty. Finally, with a grunt and push …
Scars of Trust
It felt like a punch in the gut. My husband and I wrote this for the classifieds: FREE older playground set, complete with swings, slide, and climbing fort. First person to pick it up, gets it! We fielded constant calls before a couple finally padded across our lawn, inspecting their potential treasure. “Oooh…” they gushed. “Our kids will looove it! But we can’t pick it up until Monday. Is that ok?” The couple won us over, so we deviated from our first-picker-upper-gets-it plan. We shook on it, and it was a done deal for Monday. We thought. Monday was family …
Good Morning Thinking
I wake up early. Too early I think. My brain’s still trying to unravel my dream, separate the uglies from reality. No, my husband doesn’t have a problem with that any more. And yes, he still loves me. But ok, I’ll say a quick prayer for his strengthening. I watch him under the glow of the digital clock, his chest rising and falling, his snores gentle for once. Why am I awake? I feel the pull of the Spirit. In the same way hunger awakens me after a workout, some part of me, my spirit I think, starts to hunger …